Ask the Experts:
Job Buddy Clubs

Question:

I was told that I should join or start a job buddy club to help me with my job search. What is a job buddy club and how do I either find one or start one?

First Answer:

I'm assuming by "job buddy" you mean a Success Team. Joining a group to "get a grip" on your life & career issues can be a great move. When you are tackling a difficult life issue it's great to have the ideas, support and inspiration of others going through the same thing you are. As a life & career expert, I've run these types of collaborative, supportive "success teams" not only for job seekers, but also for singles, seeking romance. My advicesisters web site has a great article on how to join a "success team" and even has tips on how to start one of your own. The one posted is directed towards singles, seeking new relationships.

-- Alison Blackman Dunham, life & career expert, columnist, personal public relations consultant, half of THE ADVICE SISTERS®, and the author of the ASK ALISON career advice column

Second Answer:

The person who made this suggestion gave you great advice and may be talking about one or a combination of several strategies. One strategy is simply a buddy system in which two or more job-seekers pair up informally to give each other mutual support while job-hunting.

A job club, sometimes known as a job-finding club, is a slightly more formal strategy. In some cases, networking clubs are the same as job clubs, but sometimes networking clubs have a broader purpose, such as generating networking leads for people in sales or small business.

What ties people in a job club together is the need for mutual support and encouragement. People who are energized by social situations and tend to procrastinate the lonely tasks of job-hunting will likely benefit from a job club. Those who are shy, insecure, or ashamed of having lost a job can get help from other job club members in overcoming these mental roadblocks. Job-club membership can stave off the depression that sometimes sets in during a protracted job search.

So, where can you find a job club? Start by looking in your local newspaper's business or community calendar section. Some newspapers list job-club meetings in special sections devoted to employment and workplace issues. In some cities, you can find free employment weekly newspapers with announcements for job clubs. Look for job club or networking club listings. (Note that a networking club, while very useful in its own right, may not offer the same kind of comprehensive support that a job club can). Also try your phone book. You can also find a small listing of Networking and Support Groups in the Internet's Riley Guide. In What Color is Your Parachute?, author Richard Bolles suggests looking for groups such as Forty Plus and Experience Unlimited, as well as local and state employment offices, the Chamber of Commerce, local colleges and universities (especially community colleges), adult-education centers, or places of worship. You might also look into organizations such as women's centers that cater to specific groups. Don't forget your local library, too.

And what if you can't find a club or can't find one that meets your needs? In that case, form your own. Bolles suggests recruiting members by placing an ad near the help-wanted section of your newspaper's classifieds. Similarly, you could post notices in public gathering places.

This information comes from an article I wrote called For Networking and Support, Join or Start a Job Club, which offers additional material on what job clubs are about and more suggestions for how to start one.

-- Katharine Hansen, former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for the Web site, Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters

Third Answer:

I am a firm believer that working as partners helps both individuals stay on target, stay focused, keep on track and produce better ideas and products. You can keep each other motivated and check each other's work including written documents and presentations, mock interviews, etc. You might search yahoo groups for a virtual support group or talk with local state employment officials, college career offices, etc.

-- Debra Feldman, founder of JobWhiz, creator of the JOBWHIZQUIZ, and specialist in cyber savvy strategic job search consultations

Fourth Answer:

Some career coaches advise against "hanging out with unemployed folks" when one is unemployed, stating that unemployed people are not worth one's valuable networking time.

I most heartily disagree. As the founder of a weekly job search support group, The Caffeinated Careers Club, that has been meeting for more than three years, I can attest to the fact that this type of club is highly valuable to a job seeker, in numerous ways, including:

1. Morale-building: To attend, job seekers must get up, groom themselves, get out of the house, away from the computer, through the fresh air and sunshine, to a supportive place where they can talk with peers. Most people find tremendous value in sharing the ups and downs of the job search with people in the same situation rather than their employed friends and demanding family members. Bottom line: getting out and about is extremely important to one's outlook during the job search.
2. Skill-building: Job seekers to practice and refine their job search communications and networking skills. Sometimes members take on research projects and present them to the group, providing structured information on employers, employment resources, interviewing, etc.
3. Job Search Leads: Just because members are unemployed doesn't mean they don't have numerous valuable contacts. EVERYONE you meet is network-worthy, in my opinion. In well-connected job search clubs, members may hear of and refer others positions that are not right for them, but perfect for others in the group. Group members can usually also recommend other vital resources, such as information on bargains on food or other necessities, community services, and even discounted entertainment (just because you're in a job search doesn't mean you must eliminate fun).
4. New Friends: Many times, members of the group can become lifelong friends. I personally have formed many friendships with the members of my job search club.

So how do you join a job search club? You can find and/or advertise job search clubs through professional organizations, unemployment offices, libraries, events calendars of local papers, as well as community newsletters or church bulletin boards.

A few things to consider when joining or starting a job search support group:

1. The group must have a strong moderator who can keep the discussion upbeat and moving along, giving each person an opportunity to share information in a respectful, dynamic way.
2. The group needs a comfortable meeting space with refreshments available at a reasonable cost. Quiet coffee shops and restaurants are good venues, as long as they don't mind working with people who are watching their expenses closely.
3. The group should have a means to stay in touch between meetings, such as a Yahoo Group email or contact list. At very least, members should come with basic business cards so that contacts can be made and information shared after the meeting.
4. The group should refrain from inviting "guest speakers" who are not unemployed peers but instead are service providers who wish to sell something to the group. In my experience, it's best if all of the time allotted is spent focusing on individuals, rather than having all members sit passively through a presentation. Of course, if a hiring manager or recruiter wants to participate in the meeting, invite them in, but don't let them dominate the event.
5. And finally, remember that regular attendance pays off - the more time you spend with a given person or group of people, the better (usually) the relationship, and the better able they are to help you achieve your goals.

Attendance in the group should be free (other than cost of refreshments).

So get out there and join a job search group today! It's one of the single smartest things a job seeker can do.

-- Tracy Laswell Williams, certified job and career transition coach, accredited resume writer and founder of CAREER-Magic.com

Fifth Answer:

Job Buddy clubs can be as formal-look for club meetings through Career Centers at Colleges-or a Community College. They can also be informal-you & your other job-seeking "buddies" meet for coffee and share job leads and talk about any interviews-how it went, what you did this week-job search-wise. Starting a job club-room in Church basement, library, local community center is relatively easy. Start small-maybe 4-5 other job seekers, talk about each job search, brainstorm for everyone-someone may know the contact another needs! Invite someone from a Local career Center to speak-job search strategies, Internet Job Search, maybe a local career counselor could talk about job loss…Many will do these speakings for free-I would-great way for me to increase my experience! Get my name out there-share with people I may help…Good luck-do a google.com search on Job Clubs-I ran one out of my Career Center a few years and got much research this way.

-- Marcia Merrill, the Assistant Director for Career Development and Placement Center at Loyola College in Maryland

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